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MarketPulse

03:26AM

Europe stocks nudge higher ahead of ECB meetingby Sara Sjolin

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- European stock markets were off to a firm start on Thursday, with oil firms in the lead, as investors awaited the outcome of the European Central Bank's policy meeting later in the day. The bank was widely expected to keep rates on hold. The Stoxx Europe 600 index
(xx:sxxp)
gained 0.3% to 277.68, setting it on track for a fourth straight day of gains. Shares of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.
(fr:ead)
jumped 6.7%, after the firm said late Wednesday it will undertake a major share-structure overhaul. Pointing in the other direction, shares of gas distributor GDF Suez SA
(fr:gsz)
dropped 14%, after the company said it will be affected by French tariffs in 2012. France's CAC 40 index
(fr:px1)
rose 0.3% to 3,600.38. In the U.K., shares of BG Group PLC
(uk:bg)
rose 0.4%. The FTSE 100 index
(uk:ukx)
gained 0.1% to 5,895.82. Germany's DAX 30 index
(dx:dax)
added 0.2% to 7,470.83.

SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- HSBC Holdings PLC
(hk:5)
(hbc)
(uk:hsba)
might pay a fine of $1.8 billion for money-laundering lapses, Reuters reported late Wednesday, citing people familiar with the situation. A settlement with U.S. law-enforcement agencies, which would likely see the bank entering into a deferred prosecution deal, could be announced as early as next week, according to the report. The bank set aside $1.5 billion in November to cover a potential fine for breaching money laundering controls, the report said. Shares dipped 0.4% in Hong Kong.

Wednesday, Dec 05, 2012

10:30PM

Murdoch matriarch dies aged 103, draws tributesby Chris Oliver

HONG KONG (MarketWatch) -- Dame Elisabeth Murdoch, mother of News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch and one of Australia's best known philanthropists, died Wednesday at her home near Melbourne at the age of 103. Tributes to the media matriarch included words from Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who praised Ms. Murdoch's commitment to the arts. "Dame Elisabeth's name will rightly be remembered by countless Australians and in many Australian places where her philanthropic work was so deeply appreciated," Gillard was cited as saying in a statement. News Corp. is the parent of MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.

09:06PM

Zynga files papers for Nevada gaming licenseby Dan Gallagher

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Zynga Inc.
(znga)
said late Wednesday that it has filed preliminary papers for a real-money gaming license in the state of Nevada. The social game maker said it has filed an application for a "preliminary finding of suitability" with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. "This filing continues our strategic effort to enter the regulated RMG (real money gaming) markets in a prudent way," wrote chief revenue officer Barry Cottle in the statement, adding that the company anticipates the process will take between 12-18 months to complete. "As we've said previously, the broader U.S. market is an opportunity that's further out on the horizon based on legislative developments, but we are preparing for a regulated market."

SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- The Australian dollar advanced on Thursday, helped by a surprisingly strong jobs report. The Australian currency
(cur_audusd)
traded at $1.0472, up from $1.0460 late Wednesday in North America. The Australian Bureau of Statistics released figures on Thursday that showed the country's unemployment rate decreased one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.2% in November. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had expected the jobless rate to rise to 5.5%.

07:32PM

Deutsche Bank reportedly misvalued derivativesby Sarah Turner

SYDNEY (MarketWatch) -- Deutsche Bank AG
(de:dbk)
(db)
misvalued large derivative structure positions during the financial crisis which helped it avoid government financial aid, the Financial Times reported Wednesday. Three ex-employees of the lender alleged in complaints to U.S. watchdogs that the German bank failed to account for losses it faced when the market worsened, according to the report. The employees also alleged that, if the bank had properly valued positions in that period, then the portfolio losses could have risen to as much as $12 billion, according to the report. Deutsche Bank said that the allegations are more than two years old and "wholly unfounded," according to the report.

07:22PM

Japan stocks rise amid reported foreign buyingby Michael Kitchen

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks opened to gains Thursday, with exporters getting a boost from the dollar's move back above the 82-yen level, and with reports indicating strong foreign buying. The Nikkei Stock Average
(JP:NI225)
tacked on 0.6% to trade at 9,523.09 in the early minutes, while the broader Topix advanced 0.8%, with Dow Jones Newswires reporting the highest net buying orders since Nov. 26 at the foreign brokerages it monitors. Many top tech and industrial names helped lead the advance, with Sony Corp.
(JP:6758)
(SNE)
up 1.1%, Sharp Corp.
(JP:6753)
(SHCAF)
rising 2.2%, Honda Motor Co.
(jp:7267)
(HMC)
up 1.2%, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd.
(JP:7012)
(KWHIY)
improving by 2.1%, and Komatsu Ltd.
(JP:6301)
(KMTUF)
ahead by 1.8%. Panasonic Corp.
(JP:6752)
(PC)
rose 1% and Toshiba Corp.
(JP:6502)
(TOSYY)
added 0.7%, even after the pair were among six firm Wednesday slapped with fines by the European Union for reportedly fixing television and computer-monitor cathode-ray tubes, according to Kyodo. Panasonic's fine was about 158 million euros ($207 million), while Toshiba's was 28 million euros, the report said.

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